Ready for War
by WhyMustIWrite
Summary: War rages. Kakashi, a teenage ANBU, has fought in it as long as he can remember. While home on furlough, he encounters Iruka, a pre-genin brat with no clue what war really is. Gen fic.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I hate to disappoint you, but I do not, in fact, own Naruto. Yes, I'll give you a moment to get over the shock.

This story _was_ a gift one-shot for **Ally Plz, **until it grew faster than I could tame, and transformed into a multi-chapter story.  
Ally sent me a prompt, and I have taken gross liberties with it, stretching and bending the guidelines until probably she herself wouldn't recognize it! But I hope she's pleased with the result anyway.

I can't say what the prompt was without giving the story away. But I _can_ tell you that the main guideline demands that Kakashi give Iruka a hard time. So don't get mad at _me_ if he's a bit of a jerk!

* * *

Hatake Kakashi removed his ANBU mask and uniform, examining his body in the bathroom mirror.

This ritual self-inspection was not a manifestation of vanity, but a survival mechanism, meant to catch any signs of compromising damage or defect. His body needed maintenance and upkeep, like as any of his other weapons.

Thirteen years old, the silver-haired ANBU was in the middle of a growth spurt, meaning that all his pants came up just a bit shorter than they were intended to be worn. His shoulders were just beginning to broaden, but were still slender and undeveloped. His torso and limbs were strong and wiry, though a bit skinny, giving him the appearance of an under-stuffed scarecrow when he wore a long sleeved shirt. And he didn't speak much, because it was embarrassing when his voice cracked.

With a cool, analytical eye, Kakashi noted that his battle wounds were healing well, leaving behind damage that was only cosmetic. None of the scarring was thick or large enough to impede free motion.

The Third Great Shinobi War raged, and food supplies were sometimes difficult to transport to the front lines where Kakashi served. While ration bars provided adequate nutrition, it was not enough to preserve musculature. Kakashi frowned at his too-skinny form. Now that he was home on a brief furlough, he would do his best to remedy that.

Laying aside his ANBU gear, he donned his black cloth mask and the clothing he wore while off-duty. Arming himself well with various weapons and supplies (for he was never truly off-duty) Kakashi set off for his favored training area, nodded to the gate keepers as he left the village proper and found the clearing.

He had not expected to find someone else there first.

The grounds Kakashi used were not an officially designated practice field, but a hidden clearing in the woods surrounding Konoha, located right beside a small stream. The thirteen-year-old ANBU preferred this area because of its seclusion, and the fact that once his arduous training was complete, he could wash up and rest by the water.

This was the first time he'd seen anyone else in this area since he took up the habit of training here while on furlough from the battlefield.

The occupant gave no impression of having noticed Kakashi's presence. Thus the teen took care to use stealth as he approached. With skill befitting his ANBU status, he melted into the shadows of trees and conducted a reconnaissance of the immediate area.

There was not a soul in the vicinity save for this young boy, and that heightened Kakashi's apprehension instead of relieving it.

Who left the safety of the village unaccompanied during wartime, except those who were sure of their ability to protect themselves? And this child was no Konoha jounin or ANBU that _he_ recognized.

Though the dark-haired boy looked to be no older than nine or ten years old, Kakashi did not allow himself to be at ease. He himself had killed more men than he cared to count by the time he reached his tenth birthday. Could this be an enemy infiltrator? The lack of a visible hitai-ate made that a distinct possibility.

Or it could just be a pre-genin child who ran away from home.

Kakashi chose to observe and reserve judgment for the time being.

The subject wore a white outfit with light, woven armor-netting underneath that extending beyond his short sleeves and the cuffs of his pants. His dark brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, but with the long bangs obstructing his face Kakashi wondered why the boy even bothered to pull the rest of it back.

Subject was small and skinny, but the long scar that marred his tan face suggested that he may have seen his share of combat. He was in possession of a pack that seemed to contain weapons and equipment, as well as a scroll roughly the length of Kakashi's forearm.

Thus far, Subject had done nothing besides engage in preliminary stretches and warm-ups that normally preceded a training session or some other strenuous activity. Then Subject began a series of taijutsu movements.

Kakashi recognized the style as Konoha and after several minutes it became abundantly apparent by the elementary form and inexpert motions that Subject was in fact a pre-genin of the Leaf village who had unwisely chosen to use Kakashi's favorite training ground. Annoying, but not a threat.

Without further deliberation, he made his presence known by dropping down in front of the boy, startling him half out of his wits. Kakashi blocked a clumsy punch with barely any effort.

Wide brown eyes took in the Konoha symbol on Kakashi's hitai-ate, and Subject immediately relaxed and drew away. "S-sorry, shinobi-san," he bowed politely. "You startled me."

"What do you think you're doing outside of the village?" the ANBU scowled. "A little boy like you shouldn't be out here alone."

"I'm not a little boy," the little boy had the nerve to contradict. "I turned _eleven_ last week, and I'll be graduating from the NinjaAcademy soon. Then I'll get to go fight in the war."

Subject waved an arm at his equipment, and Kakashi noted the way the boy's eyes lingered a bit over the scroll before snapping back to the teen. "I was just training. We're not even that far outside the gate; there are still traps and sentries around."

"Fine," Kakashi shrugged. If the kid wanted to be stubborn, it was not his responsibility to play babysitter. "Get yourself ready to fight in the war if you can. But you'll have to do it somewhere else. This is my training ground."

"I don't see your _name_ on it," the brat retorted cheekily. He looked at Kakashi who, being almost three years his senior, was a few inches taller. "I was here first."

Kakashi had no patience for children. Instead of replying, he walked toward the boy's equipment with every intention of throwing it into the surrounding thicket. However, the boy's reaction when he touched the scroll gave him some pause.

"Don't touch that!" the child cried out in a near panic. He raced up to Kakashi. "Give it back."

The ANBU examined the scroll for a moment and noted the intricate seals. "What's so important about it?"

"Nothing," the boy replied quickly. "It's just that, it's the main reason I came out here. I want to learn the techniques inside." The answer was innocent enough, but the boy's flaming cheeks and guilty expression promised a more interesting story.

"And why isn't there anyone to help teach you, hm?" Kakashi inquired. "You stole this scroll, didn't you?"

"No!" the pre-genin denied far too quickly and vehemently.

"How about I take a look inside and find out?"

"You can't."

The child's reply came back so confidently that the ANBU paused to hear his reasoning.

"You won't be able to open that. It's my _father's_, and he says only a person with Umino blood can open it. It belongs to my family."

Kakashi further examined the scroll and took note of the blood seal. Still, he was suspicious. "If it belongs to your family, why did you need to steal it?"

"I…I'm not _stealing_ it, just borrowing it a little earlier than I'm supposed to. It'll be mine when I turn thirteen." The Umino child rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. "I'm actually going to surprise my parents for their anniversary this October by learning at least one technique from this scroll. I got their letter saying that they should be back on furlough by then, and mom's always telling me the greatest gift I can ever give them is to become the best ninja I can be!"

Somehow, the boy's words pained Kakashi, but rather than dwell on it or try to discern the source of that emotion, he glared at Umino condescendingly. "Learn a technique from the scroll?" He repeated glibly, "Kid, you won't even figure out how to _open _it in four months time."

Iruka glared at him. "Yes I will!"

The ANBU could tell that the seals, while not anything absurdly difficult to get through, were beyond what an Academy student could ever hope to disengage. "No, you won't. You see kid, you'll need more than just Umino blood to access this scroll. You also need _skill_." He tossed the scroll into the boy's arms.

In the instant Umino caught the scroll, Kakashi teleported behind him and held a kunai to his throat. Bringing his masked face close to the boy's ear, he whispered. "And while I can easily obtain some _Umino blood_ if I so desired, you'll find it significantly more challenging to acquire skill."

The scent of the boy's fear stung Kakashi's nose, and he released him. "Some warrior you're going to be," Kakashi scoffed. This child had a long way to go before he'd be ready for the field. "Now beat it."

Umino's body shook from both fear and outrage. "Being a genin doesn't give you the right to push me around, you jerk!"

"What about being a jounin?" Kakashi smirked.

He furrowed his eyebrows and seemed on the verge of calling him a liar, but Kakashi could almost see the gears turning in the boy's mind as he took in the slanted hitai-ate and cloth mask. Then the warm brown eyes widened in recognition. "You're…you're…"

The ANBU waited to be identified as Sharingan Kakashi, or perhaps the son of White Fang.

"You're Minato-ojisan's student!" He finished finally.

"Uh…yeah…" It was odd to hear his old sensei, the Fourth Hokage, called "uncle" by some random kid. But then, Minato treated the villagers like they were all his family.

Iruka wavered. His parents would be upset to know that he'd been back-talking a jounin. And his father would rebuke him for being rude to Minato's student, which he'd see as a reproach on the Fourth Hokage himself.

"All right, um, shinobi-san." He blushed at having suddenly forgotten this famous ninja's name, but he was really flustered. "You can use the field first." He gathered his things and moved off the edge of the clearing, seating himself in the shade of a great oak tree.

Kakashi frowned. "What are you doing?"

The boy looked up from where he'd been fiddling with the scroll. "I'm waiting," He replied matter-of-factly, running his fingers over one of the seals as he scrutinized it. "I figure by the time I get this open, you'll be done training and then it'll be my turn."


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi didn't bother wasting any more time on the Umino brat. He'd figure out for himself that he wasn't getting that scroll open.

Though it irked the jounin to have someone around when he was training, Kakashi decided to let it be. Half the time the ANBU was moving too fast for the other to even see him, and the brat was too busy with his scroll to watch Kakashi anyway. Umino was clearly not going home. If he ran the boy off and the kid ended up getting hurt somewhere by himself, Kakashi would be partially responsible.

Two hours later, Umino was still at it, going through hand signs with an intense look of concentration on his face and his tongue peeking out of his mouth.

In all this time he'd disengaged one primary seal, burnt two of his fingers, nearly destroyed the scroll on three separate occasions, and mildly electrocuted himself four times. Not to mention the five cuts on his left forearm as he experimented with how much Umino blood may be necessary to open the scroll.

Four hours later, Kakashi was resting by the cool stream when Umino plopped down beside him and rubbed some water on his face. "You were right, shinobi-san. This is much harder than I expected."

The boy proceeded to clean the small cuts on the back of his forearm. He kept glancing at Kakashi from the corner of his eye before speaking again. "Maybe…maybe you could, you know…give me a hint?" Iruka looked down and continued in a rush, "I mean, I didn't want anyone to help me, 'cause then they'd have to know what I was doing, and I didn't want that, 'cause it's _supposed_ to be a secret, but since you already know…" He allowed the sentence to trail off and looked up at him hopefully.

Kakashi turned his half lidded gaze to the prattling child. "Hm? Were you saying something?"

The Umino child's face turned an interesting shade of red when angered. "You are such a jerk."

One week later, Kakashi entered the Hokage tower to receive his next assignment. Ambling along the main hall, he passed by the Hokage's private library and was surprised to catch a glimpse of the Umino child inside.

"What are you doing?" the jounin barked. He had better not be stealing scrolls from his sensei.

Apparently, Umino was expecting a confrontation, for he didn't even glance up from the scroll he was perusing. "Research," the child answered simply. "This _is _a library."

"You're not supposed to be in there." Kakashi countered. "This is the Hokage's _private _library."

The Umino child strained on his toes to pull another book off a shelf, then set it down on the small cherry wood table. "Minato-ojisan gave me permission. I'm not looking at anything secret, just some stuff on…" the boy gave him a furtive glance, "…seals."

"So," Kakashi crossed his arm, fixing the boy with a smug look, "_Still_ trying to get that scroll open, eh?"

The blush along his scar was confirmation enough. "I'll figure it out," he muttered.

Two months after the library encounter and all-too-brief furlough, Kakashi was sent back to Konoha- this time on medical leave, to recover from a severe case of typhoid fever.

Thus the almost-fourteen-year-old suffered through three weeks of fevers so high they brought on hallucinations and delirium. His headaches were nearly unbearable, and the least bit of noise or light left him in agony. Heightened shinobi senses were a curse in this state of health. Rashes and diarrhea contributed to his misery.

Needless to say, once Kakashi regained strength enough to escape from the building of sterilized death that was the Konoha hospital, his body was in desperate need of training.

With that in mind, he forced himself to eat, despite the lack of appetite, knowing that he'd need the energy for the training session he planned to have in the woods.

He calculated that it would take him almost two weeks to get his body to an acceptable level of fitness. Perhaps he'd be fit for service again by the time his birthday came around in mid September.

It killed him to be wasting away uselessly in the village when he knew he should be on the battlefield.

When he arrived at his favorite training ground, he spotted that Umino brat. In no mood to deal with a whiny kid, the ANBU was about to show himself and order him away when he noticed something.

The scroll was open.

Kakashi knew that the abilities needed to break the seals on that parchment were not taught except on an advanced genin/early chunin level. Either the boy received help, or he was excellent at self-study and learning things from books.

Umino was standing in the brook, ankle deep in the water, while he used chakra to manipulate the liquid around him into tiny rivulets that snaked over and around his body in various patterns. This spoke of his having very refined chakra control.

Kakashi observed as the boy went through some hand seals. The water snaked around his arms and moved towards his hands, but the attempted jutsu failed. The jounin's eyes widened in alarm as he realized just what jutsu the boy was trying to learn.

Now, the technique itself was not the source of his concern. It was nothing especially impressive, merely a C-rank water jutsu Kakashi himself had copied with his Sharingan eye not so long ago.

No, the alarming part was that the person from whom Kakashi had copied it was an enemy Mist ninja.

The child claimed that the scroll belonged to his father. But why would a Konoha ninja's scroll contain Kirigakure water techniques?

There were a few possibilities. Perhaps the elder Umino had stolen the scroll from Mist nin. Or maybe he was actually a spy for the Village Hidden in the Mist, and the scroll had been something of a gift.

Or maybe the Umino child had been lying about where the scroll had come from in the first place, and thus it was futile to attempt to speculate the countless possibilities. But the fact remained that the boy wanted to practice in a place he knew he'd be alone.

And if he _were _to receive help, the only one who could effectively help him would be a Hidden Mist ninja.

How likely was it that the child could have gotten so far along in the technique in two month's time with no help?

Little Umino tried his technique again, only to have it fail, yet again. As his frustration grew, his form became sloppier, which only caused more problems which in turn created more frustration. It was a vicious cycle that ultimately had the boy literally growling in irritation.

"Why can't I get it RIGHT?" he fumed to himself.

Kakashi finally made his presence known. "I told you already. Because it takes skill."

"Shinobi-san!" Iruka startled. "W-what are _you_ doing here?"

"I told you. This is my training ground." He tilted his head and fixed a half-lidded gaze on the child. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"No." He quickly picked up the scroll and rolled it up. "I wasn't expecting anyone. You haven't been around in months, and this is the only place with water that I can be alone."

"What about the person who helped you?" Kakashi queried, fishing for information.

Brown eyes blinked at him as though he were crazy. "No one helped me. I _asked _you before, but you refused, and I don't want to have any more people in on this secret, if I can help it."

"Let me take a look at that scroll then." Kakashi's eye crinkled in false cheer. "Maybe I can help now."

Umino hugged the parchment to his chest. "No!" He took a step back. "I only wanted a hint on how to open it. I can't show you what's inside. Father would _kill_ me!"

Kakashi couldn't be certain if the Umino child was speaking literally or figuratively here, so he didn't press the subject. It would be a shame for the boy to get killed if he didn't deserve it.

"Well, since you're so busy butchering you're family's techniques, I'll just be going then." Kakashi knew where he had to go with this unsettling information.

* * *

A heartfelt thank you to **Reidluver, Ir1s, swordswingingsquirrel, InARealPickle, Auphora66, Orodruin, XcrazyXookamiX, umino-gaara, yure-chan, AllyPlz, Prescripto13, Sugar-Hype-Queen, **and **jumpingbeans480 **for their reviews!

Most of you were reviewers for "Not Over 'Till The Paperwork Is In," and I am ridiculously giddy, and somewhat flabbergasted, that you would continue to follow and leave feedback to my new stories. Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

Name meanings in this chapter:

Kajiki - swordfish  
Hayashi - forest, Koeda - foliage

* * *

Minato-sensei laughed at him, which Kakashi did not appreciate. Especially since he was reporting a possible threat to the village.

The golden-haired leader finally stifled his chuckles. "The boy's father is Umino Kajiki, and he is not a spy. His scrolls contain Mist techniques because he is a refugee from Kirigakure."

"I wasn't aware that we accept ninja refugees from Hidden Mist," Kakashi responded coolly from behind his porcelain mask.

Minato considered his former student. Not too long ago, he would have smirked and told Kakashi not to trouble himself over things that didn't concern him. But Kakashi wasn't just a boy; he was the Wolf ANBU, and he was entitled to the information if he wanted it.

"You're right. Ninja refugees from Mist are not accepted because they are too volatile and untrustworthy. But _political_ refugees are, and Sarutobi-sama was willing to be flexible with his classification," Minato explained.

"Kajiki-san was an activist for political and educational reform in his village. He wanted to abolish the Mist graduation ritual that requires genin hopefuls to duel to the death before they earn their hitai-ate. And he tried gaining support to establish a peaceful transfer of the Mizukage title, since Mist's current policy calls for civil war between hopeful successors and their supporting factions.

"Politics is a dangerous game to play, especially in Kirgakure. The Mizukage saw Kajiki-san as a threat, and ordered his assassination. But he was able to escape." The Hokage tapped his fingers on his desk as he counted off years in his head. "Konoha took him in…let's see…it'll be fifteen years ago now."

"That doesn't prove that Umino isn't a spy." Kakashi countered. "If he really seeks political reform for his home village, what better way to gain the Mizukage's favor and garner support than to provide intelligence on his enemy? He could be biding his time."

"Trust me. Kajiki-san is a political idealist, but he is not a spy," the Fourth Hokage responded confidently. "At least, not a spy for Mist. Now please, stop picking on poor Iruka-kun. If he wants to surprise his parents by learning a family technique I don't see the harm in it."

Kakashi frowned and didn't move from his seat.

Minato chuckled. "You sure don't trust readily, do you?"

"A shinobi shouldn't trust readily. Especially not when we're at war."

The leader sighed exaggeratedly, "It's disappointing that you don't have faith in _my_ judgment here. Am I the Hokage for nothing?"

"I'm just saying, sempai, I hope you're keeping a close eye on this Umino Kajiki, and that you're not letting him near vital intelligence." Kakashi was not in the mood for jokes. Especially not in regards to the village safety.

"You can have confidence, Wolf, that those who know heritage will always be keeping a close eye on him, whether I order them to or not. As you said, trust is not readily given by shinobi." Minato considered his former student. "I however, _do_ trust him, as much as I could any other Konoha ninja. He's already proven his loyalty. When Kajiki-san arrived, he wasn't automatically given citizenship status and could not serve as a ninja. He earned those privileges.

"Before you were born, there were Konoha traitors recruiting refugees to aid in their coup and assassinate the Sandaime. Kajiki-san professed to join them, only to collect evidence against the ninja orchestrating this scheme. He warned Sarutobi-sama about the threat, and was instrumental in the conviction of the conspirators.

"Because of his deeds, Kajiki-san was awarded Konoha citizenship and officially instated as a ninja in service to the Hokage. He courted a Leaf kunoichi named Hayashi Koeda, and the two married thirteen years ago. I was there for the wedding. That man lives for this village, and he's as willing as any natural born citizen to die for it."

"And yet," Kakashi pondered aloud, "He names his son 'Iruka,' which means 'dolphin,' apparently following his Mist clan's traditions."

"A name is a name, Kakashi-kun." Minato responded with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "No one accuses your father of being a farmer."

"But he's recording and planning to teach his son Hidden Mist techniques," Kakashi protested, ignoring his sensei's joke. "And he's strictly ordered that these jutsus never be shown to anyone outside of the family."

"Kajiki-san is a man who deeply feels his obligations. He's never shared Kiri jutsu because he is bound by an oath of blood never to reveal them. He considers them family secrets, and is allowed to protect them as such."

"Who knows what other 'family secrets' he's hiding," the ANBU muttered.

Minato lifted his hands in mock-surrender.

"I see there's no relieving your suspicions," he noted with a smile. "That's fine. You're hardly alone in that opinion."

The Hokage sighed and turned to look out the window to the village beyond. "I only ask that you don't trouble the boy over it. He has a hard enough time making friends, because of who his father is. I believe _you _know what that's like."

The teenager frowned. Sensei just _had_ to bring that up.

"Iruka's a Konoha citizen: born, raised, and educated here. The son needn't be punished for the misdeeds of his father, actual or imaginary."

"Easier said than done." Kakashi sighed, drawing from his own life experiences.

"True," Minato agreed. "People can be an unreasonable lot. I trust that_ you,_ at least, will act sensibly. You may even consider being _nice_ to the boy. Iruka's a good kid, and it couldn't hurt to try and connect with people closer to your age."

Kakashi stared at him blankly. "I didn't come for social counseling, sempai. I just wanted to make you aware of a possible threat."

"And I appreciate that," Minato assured him with a smirk. "But I stand by my earlier conviction. Umino Kajiki will sooner die for Konoha than consider betraying it."

* * *

Iruka appeared in Kakashi's training ground every day to practice his technique.

The ANBU figured that if he trained early in the day, while the brat was in the academy, he could then be free to spy on him in the evenings. Often, Kakashi watched in secret, while reading the scrolls that Minato wanted him to study during his forced sick-leave.

The child's skill left much to be desired and his pint-sized chakra reserves were laughable. However, over time the jounin couldn't help but grudgingly appreciate the Umino child's resolve. No amount of failure deterred him from his training.

And fail he did.

The technique was too advanced for him. C-rank jutsu were chunin level techniques. Iruka could not learn it from parchment alone. Though Kakashi had been surprised by the boy's ability to open the scroll in the first place, clearly Iruka was no genius. None of this came naturally to him. Whatever progress he made came slowly, at the cost of blood, sweat, and, (though he tried to hide them) tears.

Once Kakashi became thoroughly convinced that there really was no one helping him, that the pre-genin honestly expected to learn a C-class jutsu in time to surprise his parents for their anniversary, he gave up spying. He had better things to do, after all.

Still, on occasion, sheer curiosity made him show up to check on the kid's progress.

"You're pathetic," the teenager drawled, while cleaning and sharpening his blades by the stream's bank. "I bet you don't even know what you're doing wrong."

Standing ankle deep in the water, Iruka clenched his jaw and tried to ignore him.

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. The Umino boy may not be skilled enough for the battlefield, but he was showing some promising mental determination. Testing this kid's mettle would be an amusing diversion.

"Give up, kid. You should just stick to playing ninja with your little friends. Obviously, you can't cut it with the real thing."

"_Shut_ _up_!" Iruka snapped.

"Make me," Kakashi replied pleasantly, his visible eye curved up in a smile.

When Iruka was finally done for the day, he would pack his bag and leave the clearing- drenched, dog-tired, and defeated, with tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

But he always came back the next day.

Kakashi could respect that.

* * *

The Academy students lined up in the practice field, and the sensei divided them into small teams. Each team took turns running through the obstacle course.

As they waited their turn, one group of boys decided it would be a lot more fun if they picked out which war hero they'd pretend to be while going through the course.

"I call Jiriaya-sama!" one toad-loving youngster exclaimed.

"Can I be Minato-sama this time?" Iruka interjected quickly.

"Well, I _guess_ you can be the Yellow Flash," the blonde who usually played the role replied reluctantly, "but only if _I _get to be Sharingan Kakashi!"

This proposal was met by another boy's indignant protest. "No way! I'm Sharingan Kakashi. It's _my_ turn!"

The role of Kakashi was so fiercely contested, a rotation had long ago been set so that everyone would eventually get a chance.

"Actually," the blonde corrected, "It's Iruka-kun's turn to be Sharingan Kakashi. That's why I offered to trade for Minato-sama."

He glanced at Iruka. "So what do you say? You can be the Yellow Flash, but you'd be losing your turn for the Copy Ninja."

Iruka wrinkled his nose at boy. "Who cares? Kakashi-san's a real jerk."

Jaws dropped.

"How can you _say _that?" The other boys gawked at him, scandalized by the insult.

"Cause's he's always _picking_ on me, that's how."

"Yeah right! Like you've actually met the copy cat ninja," the pretend 'Toad Sannin' snorted derisively.

"But I have!" the scarred-nose youth insisted. "He's a tall, skinny kid with messy white hair that kind of poofs out everywhere." Iruka demonstrated the "poof" by sticking his hands up around his head. "He's in the village on furlough or something."

"Don't be an idiot, Iruka-kun. Kakashi-sama is _always_ on the front lines- where the action is! He doesn't _need _furlough."

"Yeah, he doesn't even need to sleep," one kid added knowingly. "He's _that_ good."

"Well... Then maybe he goes on furlough to visit his family," Iruka shrugged. His thoughts went to the letter his parents had written between battles, informing him of their pending return.

"He doesn't have a family. Duh. Don't you know anything?" A roll of the eyes accompanied this exasperated remark. "Kakashi-sama's the _last_ Hatake. Isn't that cool!"

He chewed on his lip thoughtfully. It didn't sound very cool to Iruka, but he kept that comment to himself. "But what happened to his family?"

"Everyone knows his dad killed himself," a boy shrugged. "I don't know about his mom or the rest."

The other boys nodded in agreement.

"His dad…killed himself?" Iruka repeated in shock. "It can't be! That's not what father told me- _my _dad says White Fang was assassinated!"

"Yeah?" his classmate shrugged. "Well, your dad's a liar. Everyone knows that too."

Iruka's eyes flashed angrily. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me."

"Take that back!"

"No way…gaahh!"

By the time the teachers broke up the fist fight, Iruka was sporting a bloody nose and his classmate a black eye.

At detention, the curious pre-genin could take it no longer. He asked his teacher the question that had been nagging him since the fight. "Sensei, how did Hatake Sakumo die?"

His teacher raised an eyebrow at the seemingly random question, but proceeded to answer it. "White Fang committed seppuku after failing a mission. He could not deal with the disgrace of having botched such a critical mission by his poor choices." The sensei shook his head sadly. "You must remember, Iruka-kun, that the mission always comes first. Sakumo-san forgot that, and see where that led?"

The answer saddened and confused him, but Iruka opted not to mention his father's comments about White Fang being killed- not to his sensei. Iruka had once gotten his father in really big trouble by telling sensei, "My dad says we should overthrow the Konoha Police 'cause it's corrupt."

Umino Kajiki's exact words, spoken while they were eating dinner in their home, were "You have to admit, Koeda, that our police system has inherent flaws. It could use some overhaul . Historically, consolidating so much power into the hands of only one clan tends to breed corruption."

But the seven-year-old Iruka couldn't quite grasp the meaning of all those words, and had just expressed what he thought was the gist of the conversation. (It didn't make much sense that "overhaul" and "overthrow" were such different words, when "haul and throw" meant pretty much the same thing.) Dad had to spend a week at the T&I Department to get the misunderstanding cleared up, and when he got home he spent another week in bed.

Perhaps Iruka had misunderstood again.

But what else could his dad have meant, those many times he remarked with a meloncholy sigh that "Hatake Sakumo is a victim of character assassination"?

* * *

As always, I extend my gratitude to my reviewers:** jazzy**, **XcrazyXookamiX, Nascorgi, Ir1s, yure-chan, Reidluver, DarkAuroran, Rangerfan58, **and **umino-gaara**,this last time. :) I adore getting your feedback, and often it motivates or inspires additions and/or alterations to the story.


	4. Chapter 4

Kakashi was back on the battlefield by the time he reached his fourteenth birthday. He returned to Konohagakure less than a month later. Not for rest or recuperation- rather, it was to face a threat greater even than the enemy nations they fought in this now waning war.

And the next time Kakashi entered his clearing, it was not for training. The date was October 11, and Kakashi's training area was destroyed. He was there to pick up the pieces. Fallen trees and fallen bodies littered the ground. Blood tainted the stream.

The Fox attack had been swift, frightening, and devastating. The aftermath, draining and disheartening. Clearing debris, transporting the injured, gathering and identifying bodies: it was slow, painful work.

His sensei, Minato, was gone, having sacrificed his life to save the village. And now Kakashi was truly alone.

Death had stolen the last of his precious people. He wanted to scream, to cry, to shake his fist in the face of cruel fate.

Because however powerful he became, however many jutsus he learned, it was never enough to save the people he cared about. Perhaps it would never be enough.

But the fourteen-year-old did not scream, or cry, or shake his fist. Instead, he aided in his village's recovery as stoically as one would expect from Sharingan Kakashi, war hero and ANBU. Through the ordeal, he found comfort in one fact. He would never lose another precious person. Not again.

Death could not take what he did not have.

* * *

Eleven-year-old Iruka wandered the disaster zone, picking through foliage and digging through smaller pieces of debris.

All his life he had trained for war. Yet when war came to his village, he'd not even been allowed to fight.

Pulled from the battlefield and separated from his recently-returned parents, Iruka was left with no role except to count the dead. And he'd had to pester the ninja in charge of clean-up to get even that job.

His task was fairly simple. When Iruka came across a body, or a piece of one, he marked the area with a small chakra-infused flag for the recovery team to collect.

The boy shivered in the autumnal wind, which howled as mournfully as the spirit of village. Konoha had won the battle against the Nine Tailed Demon Fox. But where was the triumph? Where was the glamour?

Faced with grotesque remains of what were once living, breathing, humans… falling in a blaze of glory during battle suddenly didn't seem so romantic a prospect

The air was thick with ash, smoke, and acrid Fox-chakra. It stung Iruka's eyes and burned his throat. He suppressed his coughs, afraid that if he opened his mouth the contents of his stomach would escape. Sick as he felt, he didn't wish to stop the search.

If asked, Iruka might have admitted that he was searching for more than just bodies. Mom and dad had not come home last night. The boy was _sure_ they must have stayed out all night to help aid the wounded. They must have. And if he kept his eyes open, he just might find them.

Iruka found them. Or, at least, he found what was left.

* * *

Kakashi gave his report to the Sandaime, shoulders slumping with exhaustion. As tired as he was, he couldn't help but notice how deeply weary Sarutobi looked. The elder seemed to have aged a decade over the course of one night.

In the middle of his report, a recovery team arrived to drop off another list of names.

Sarutobi scanned the list of dead shinobi, his expression tight and inscrutable. "Be sure to make a copy of this list for the engravers," he ordered finally. "They will need these names for the memorial."

The team's leader hesitated. "Do you want them to have… _every_ name on this list, Lord Hokage?"

"Of course," Sarutobi replied with a raised brow. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well," the shinobi gave the Hokage a significant look, "Umino Kajiki and Koeda are on that list."

The leader lifted his chin slightly. "…And?"

"And... isn't the memorial for _Konoha_ ninja only?" A couple of the recovery squad team members nodded at their captain's remark. "Kajiki's name, at least, should not go to the engravers… He is not Leaf."

Sarutobi frowned and his reply was unyielding. "Umino Kajiki has served Konoha faithfully these past fifteen years. He purchased his place on the memorial with his blood. His name _stays_ on that list."

"Yes, my lord." The captain sighed and left room.

Kakashi noted that they were speaking of Iruka's parents. Guess all the kid's training was for nothing; they didn't even live long enough to celebrate their anniversary. But Minato-sensei had been right after all. Umino Kajiki would sooner die for Konoha than betray it.

* * *

Some time after the Kyuubi attack, word was received that the Third Great Shinobi War had come to an end. The news encouraged the spirit of a village so recently decimated by the demon fox.

After nearly six years of constant warfare, peace had become a figment from a distant past. Indeed, for the younger generation, peace was something they only heard about secondhand from older siblings.

Iruka- five years old when the war began and with no siblings to enlighten him about the time "before the war" while his parents were away- could only stare blankly at the messenger who proclaimed the good news, not quite able to grasp the significance.

He knew war was the reason his parents couldn't be with him most of the time, why he took care of the house and cooked his food alone even back when he needed a chair to reach the stovetop. They often said "after the war" they would be together again.

If he couldn't have that, then what good was peace anyhow?

For Kakashi "before the war" was a vague memory, a barely glowing ember that smoldered down a little further with every blood soaked battlefield he helped create. He had been…was it eight or nine?...when the fighting officially began. He couldn't remember, and really it didn't matter, since he had fought and served during the tension and unofficial skirmishes that began long before.

War was his life. The only thing at which he knew he excelled. The only purpose he'd ever really had for existing.

For now, peace meant that he and his comrades were free to return, rest, and help rebuild their broken village. Beyond that, he just wasn't sure.

* * *

When Kakashi finally found the time to practice his katas in the forest, he was exasperated to find another dead body that had escaped the retrieval team's notice. Shinobi had been stumbling across body parts for days, but this was the first intact corpse he'd come across.

He approached the bedraggled form and was instantly on guard when he noticed the lack of stench. If this were a kyuubi victim, it should be decomposing already.

The body lay sprawled facedown close to the bank of the stream. Before getting any closer, Kakashi cast his chakra around, checking for any enemies that may be using the body as bait. Sensing it was clear he advanced quickly, as his sharp eyes remained alert for signs of traps.

His eyes widened when he realized the "dead" body was in fact the still-breathing form of Umino Iruka. When Kakashi placed his fingers on the boy's neck, he was relieved to feel a strong pulse. "Hey kid, wake up."

Two taps on the boy's face brought him back to the consciousness. He squinted up at the jounin, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"The real question is what are _you_ doing here?" The jounin had been looking forward to have his spot to himself once more.

"I guess I fell asleep." Iruka sat up with a groan and rubbed his face tiredly, causing dirt to streak onto his face. Fallen leaves had gotten caught in his hair and his clothes were damp from stream water, giving him a decidedly pathetic look.

"You were training again?" Kakashi guessed.

He nodded miserably in response, staring at his hands with a scowl. "I still haven't learned that technique. But I won't stop trying."

"Go home, kid," Kakashi sighed. If he didn't stop him soon, the pre-genin would be risking chakra exhaustion. "This is my training ground, anyway."

"I don't see your _name_ on it," Iruka replied tiredly, casting a half-hearted glare at the jounin as he echoed the words from the first day.

"You are such a child." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

But Iruka was back to ignoring him. Instead, he decided that wasting his dwindling reserves on beginning the jutsu again was somehow a good idea.

A gloved hand grabbed the child's wrist. "You will stop this now, or you will force me to break your hand and _make _you stop."

Iruka looked panicked. "No, don't! I can't practice this jutsu with a broken hand!"

"That's the idea."

"But I only have three days left!"

"Three days?"

"Until my parents' anniversary, dummy!" Iruka cried in exasperation. "Were you even listening at all?"

Kakashi's shoulders slumped. Had no one broken the news to the kid? Surely he would have figured it out by now. "Listen to me, Iruka. Your parents are _dead_."

"So?" He asked, his voice thick and tremulous.

"I know you don't want to believe…" The jounin paused and furrowed his brow. "Wait…what?"

"I said I was going to learn the jutsu for their anniversary, so I'm going to learn it for their anniversary." Iruka tugged experimentally, testing the strength of the grip on his wrist, but pointedly keeping his watery eyes anywhere but on the other ninja. "That…that other stuff doesn't matter."

"Other stuff" was an unusual euphemism for death.

The jounin stared at him for a moment. "All right, kid. I get it," Kakashi said, releasing his hold on the boy's slender wrist. "But, you still need to go home for today before you pass out from chakra exhaustion."

"I can't," Iruka insisted. "There's not much time, I'm not leaving."

"So what do you plan on doing, then?" Kakashi growled. "Train here until you're so far gone you end up in the hospital? Are you that selfish? The hospital is filled beyond capacity with Kyuubi victims, they don't need to babysit some brat who's too dense to know when to stop training. Just go home."

"I can't," the boy choked back a sob, "There's no one at home. And there's never going to be anyone there. Everything there reminds me of them. I can't do it, Kakashi-san, I can't. I don't want to be alone."

"You're not the only one to lose people, kid. This isn't easy on anyone." The teen sighed. This was rather awkward. He wished the pre-genin didn't have to be so melodramatic.

Iruka sniffled, furiously wiping at his eyes. "I know. I…I know you're alone too. And that your dad killed himself…or a character assassinated him…or something." He looked up with wide brown eyes, as though he'd just realized something important. "Maybe that's why you're so mean."

Kakashi's face hardened. "Don't presume to know anything about me."

"Well, it's only a guess," Iruka pouted. "I just figured, if you were mean for no reason at all, Minato-ojisan wouldn't 've liked you so much."

"Sensei talked about me?" Kakashi remarked, and to his vast annoyance, his voice chose that exact moment to crack. It was the whole puberty thing. Kakashi was not getting emotional. He was _not_.

"Only _all the time._" Iruka sighed. "He said if I looked underneath, I'd see you really aren't just a big jerk, like I thought." The boy gave him a sideways glance, holding just a touch of defiance. "I don't see it."

Kakashi frowned and looked away, his thoughts on his deceased sensei, the closest thing he'd had to a father ever since his own gave up on life and left him.

Minato had asked Kakashi to be nice to the boy.

The copy ninja sighed. He wasn't always a good listener.

"There are lots of things you don't see, kid," Kakashi finally replied to Iruka's comment. "Like the fact that you keep messing up that jutsu because you don't put enough thought into molding your chakra the right way."

The pre-genin gave him a startled stare. "What…?"

"You're so focused on getting your hand signs exactly right, that you don't concentrate on what your body is doing with your chakra," the teen elaborated. "The whole point of using those signs is to train yourself to manipulate your chakra system a certain way. With the more elementary signs, that can happen almost without conscious effort, but the more advanced hand signs require you to actively mold your chakra. That's why they don't teach them in the Academy."

"...Oh," was all the young boy could think to say.

"As exhausted as you are, it's impossible for you to try right now. That's why you need to go home, eat something, and get a good night's rest. No one can push themselves indefinitely without serious consequences. You have to take care of your body, idiot."

"But…_you _don't need to sleep," Iruka protested. "That's what everyone says."

"Of course," Kakashi sighed. "And I don't need to breathe either."

"_For real?_" Iruka's eyes widened in an awed expression.

"No."

"...Oh."

* * *

Just a note on the timeline: The entire story takes place in the course of just over four months: early June to mid October

~Ch 1 begins early June, a week after Iruka's 11th birthday (May 26th).  
~Ch 2 has Kakashi leaving one week later, then returning two months later to recover from typhoid, making it early August. He suffers for three weeks in the hospital, and after getting out, hopes to be back on the battlefield in two weeks, in time for his 14th birthday (Sept. 15).  
In the two months and three weeks since he last saw Iruka, the pre-genin has opened the scroll and has been trying to learn the jutsu on his own. (If Naruto can learn a forbidden jutsu in less than a day, I don't think it's stretching it to say that Iruka could get as far as he got given almost three months time)  
~Ch 3 takes place during Kakashi's two week reconditioning in September.  
~Ch 4 we find out that Kakashi did make it back to the field by mid September, but returned to Konoha because of the Kyuubi attack (Oct. 10). The rest of the chapter takes place in the days immediately afterwards.

Once again, a most heartfelt thank you to my reviewers, **Reidluver, yure-chan, InARealPickle, Ally Plz, jumpingbeans480, Rangerfan58, Prescripto13, the2ndpenguin, Victoria Levi, XcrazyXookamiX, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Ir1s, Auphora66, umino-gaara, dk-joy, and Antimatterannihilation**.


	5. Epilogue

Leaves drifted in lazy arcs around the memorial stone. There a lone figure stood, paying his respects to the dead.

Hatake Kakashi had been a frequent visitor of this site since the death of his friend and teammate one year prior. Being a soldier meant being away from the village for long stretches of time, but as often as the copy ninja was in the village, he kept vigil at the memorial.

The months immediately after Obito's death, his other teammate, Rin, would often join him in his watch. Eventually, however, her visits became less frequent. She said one shouldn't live buried in the past, and eventually needs to move on.

Kakashi had no desire to "move on."

Uchiha Obito had traded his life for Kakashi's, and the day he ceased to pause and reflect, the day he stopped feeling that pain, was the day he truly became lower than scum.

Rin had been convinced that, with time, Kakashi's need to frequent the memorial would lessen. On the contrary- with time, his reasons for coming only increased. There were more people he cared about among the dead than among the living. And when he'd failed in his promise to protect Rin, when she also fell in combat, his list of regrets became longer, along with the amount of time he spent reflecting.

With Minato's death came a new development. The copy ninja's time couldn't always be spent in silent rumination. He wasn't a social person, but when he felt the need to confide in someone, his former sensei was always the prime candidate. Not inclined to seek a new confidante, Kakashi could see no reason to stop now.

"Well, sensei, I've decided to teach that Umino brat," the jounin sighed. "Seeing as how I won't be sent out of the village for at least a few more days anyway."

A wry smile pulled his features, "Obito, if you were here, you'd be laughing it up about now. You know I haven't the patience for teaching."

The wind picked up, bringing a chill with it. Kakashi stuck his hands in his pockets and continued. "I wouldn't have even bothered, but you should see this kid. Don't get me wrong…he's no genius. After months of constant training on his own, he still couldn't learned this straight-forward technique. But he also hasn't given up, even after everything I put him through, and after, well, the Fox attack."

Kakashi paused in consideration. "The boy's about as intimidating as a terrier, but tenacious as a pitbull. Once he sinks his teeth into something, he won't let go.

"So, Minato-sensei, looks like you were right after all. Iruka-kun's a good kid. And he's not really that annoying... once you get used to him. He'll probably be an asset to this village when he gets older."

Kakashi looked up and took note of the position of the sun. "Anyway, guys, it's time for me to go. I told the kid that I'd meet him for a training session and I shouldn't keep him waiting too long. He's already been there an hour."

* * *

A dark haired boy half-carried, half-dragged a bucket of water toward the memorial stone.

Setting it down, his brown eyes scanned the list of names until he found the ones he was searching for: _Umino_ _Kajiki_ and _Umino_ _Koeda_.

Iruka brushed his fingers across the engraved kanji. He wasn't used to locating those names on the stone, but over time he would probably be able to find the exact spot with his eyes closed.

An involuntary shudder wracked his body as the memory of the last time he saw his parents rose unbidden in his mind. Forcing the image away, he cleared his throat and addressed them.

"Hey, mom, dad," he began quietly. "Happy anniversary."

The pre-genin shifted his feet nervously. "I'm not sure if you can hear me but I thought, if you could, this would maybe be the place with the best reception. I don't know."

When his parents used to come home on furlough, they always took care to set their affairs in order and get the business done that they could not get to while on the field. So naturally, Iruka began the conversation with the practical.

"Just so you know, I talked to the landlord last night, and the money you guys set aside should be good for the next few months of rent. Also, Sarutobi-sama- he's the Hokage _again_, you know- he says that I'm entitled to the unpaid allowances that Konoha owes you, but that right now the village can't afford to pay death benefits." Iruka scratched his scar thoughtfully, "So it'll be tight, but don't worry, because I should be able to graduate really soon, and then I can earn my own money."

With those matters aside, he moved on to the main reason behind this visit. "So, anyway, I have a surprise for you, for your anniversary, and I worked _really, really _hard on it, so I hope you like it." Iruka tapped the bucket sheepishly. "Only, I had to bring my own water, because I can't get it to work without an outside source. Maybe later I'll learn how to do that."

Iruka widened his stance and grinned at the stone. "All right, you ready? Here goes: Water Style, Water Cannon Jutsu!"

Small jets of water rose from the bucket, snaking around the boy's body, moving up to encircled his arms, and spiraling towards the palms of his hands. There, the liquid collected into a ball before exploding forward in a highly pressurized stream.

Of course, being limited to only the water in the bucket, his jutsu resembled the jet of a garden hose more than that of a water cannon. Pressurized water hit a tree trunk and splintered some of the bark, but otherwise did little damage.

"Did you see?" Iruka exclaimed. "It's not that strong yet, but Kakashi-san says that it'll get better as my chakra coils develop more fully… And don't get angry, dad, I promise I didn't show him the scroll. He already knew how to do the Water Cannon. Says he learned it from a Mist ninja."

After a thoughtful pause, the pre-genin sighed, "Minato-ojisan… you were right about him, after all. Kakashi-san helped me, and I never would have learned this jutsu in time if he hadn't.

As an afterthought, the boy added, "He's a little annoying. He's _always_ late to training sessions…and he enjoyed hitting me with the Water Cannon _way _too much..."

Iruka grinned. "But you know what? He's still a good kid."

* * *

Now that the story's over, I'll give you some insight into the guidelines that helped build it. (In case you're actually interested in that sort of thing):

1. An Iruka in cranky-desperate mode because of a problem.

2. A request for help to Kakashi, which the jounin responds to by causing Iruka _more_ misery and frustration.

3. Kakashi finally helping Iruka, possibly, but not necessarily, out of guilt.

I toyed with various amusing responses to this challenge, and was almost certain that it would lend itself to a humorous and lighthearted fic.

With that in mind, I decided to make them both children, thinking it would be even cuter. Then I reflected on their childhood, and how they both grew surrounded by, or in the thick of, war…and this story is the result of those reflections.

Thank you so much to every one who reviewed. Such a response seems astonishing and undeserved. ^^; However, far be it from me to complain.

A big thanks to **iNsAnE nO bAkA, Reidluver, InARealPickle, Auphora66, XcrazyXookamiX, Ir1s, Antimatterannihilation, umino-gaara, DarkAuroran, jumpingbeans480, yure-chan, Prescripto13, Victoria Levi, **and**LurkingNin **for the latest reviews. Quite a few of you have reviewed every chapter individually, and for that I am most grateful. I wish I could write you gift "one-shots", but, alas, it would require me to spend the rest of my days chained to my laptop, and I rather enjoy involving myself in Real Life.

And, of course, a great thank-you to **Ally Plz**, for her inspiration and support.


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